What Happened to being a Hufflepuff?
by bgreenwivy
Summary: The Gryffindors have finally gone too far and Neville, tired of the way they treat him, gives up. He demands to be resorted and in doing so finds that the Sorting Hat has plans for him...


**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, make any money from this and no copyright infringement was intended…**

Prompt: Neville finds out that a student can be re-sorted under some circumstances. He decides to take the plunge, thinking he will be sorted into Hufflepuff. However, he is harboring so much resentment, anger, and hatred towards his fellow Gryffindors, that the hat decides he's a Slytherin at heart. By pipperpottermalfoy

Neville stormed through the hallways of Hogwarts internally seething. Externally his hazel eyes shone with unshed tears. His hands clenched in fists at his sides as he strode towards the Great Hall for dinner. Neville's mind worked frantically trying to find a way out of his current dilemma or at the very least a course of action that would temporarily draw attention away from him.

"_I can't believe they reacted that way_." Neville groaned thinking about his housemates' reaction to his unexpected and unplanned announcement. "_I should just ask to be resorted; it is obvious I don't belong_. _At least in Hufflepuff they would accept who I am. They have a couple of people..._" The arrival of Draco Malfoy and his posse stalled Neville's thoughts.

"Well if it isn't Longbottom." Draco drawled stepping into Neville's path flanked by Crabbe on one side and Goyle on the other. "Is the little Longbottom going to cry?" Draco teased leaning down from his great height in order to intimidate Neville.

It was a rare thing for Neville to get truly upset but now that the fire of resentment was in his heart. Without missing a beat, Neville slugged Draco straight in the face. For a moment, everything stopped moving. Draco stood staring at Neville his mercurial eyes wide and disbelieving as twin tracks of blood evacuated from his nose.

"Shit!" Draco bellowed cradling his nose. Neville didn't even think about it as he landed another hit and stepped over Draco to walk into the Great Hall. Goyle and Crabbe simply stood there unable to process what had happened.

Neville entered the partially full hall and walked right up to the staff table. Dumbledore saw him coming and tilted his head in inquiry. When Neville finally stopped in front of him, he looked Dumbledore straight in the eye and spoke calmly. "I want to be resorted."

"Impossible." Professor McGonagall declared while Dumbledore studied him contemplatively.

"Is there a reason for this decision?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes I don't think Gryffindor is where I belong anymore." Neville explained as calmly as he could manage.

"It took you six years to realize that?" Professor McGonagall questioned in disbelief.

"Maybe it took me six years to realize that everyone who shared disbelieve in my being placed in Gryffindor may have had a point." Neville retorted trying to get himself under control.

Dumbledore continued to study Neville shrewdly while Neville maintained eye contact. "Fair enough, Fawkes is bringing it now." The Great Hall had filled up considerably at this point. The arrival of the phoenix stopped all conversation. Dumbledore announced Neville's resorting while McGonagall placed the hat on his head. Neville closed his eyes and relaxed remembering what to expect. As the hat descended and blackness surrounded him, Neville opened his eyes to find the hat eyeing him.

"_Longbottom I see we meet again." The hat rasped._

"_I have got to get out Gryffindor!" Neville exclaimed his expression beseeching._

"_When you first were sorted I told you that you were not like the rest of your family." The hat paused._

"_Yeah I know, I can't live in their shadow if I want to grow." Neville intoned wincing slightly at the way it sounded coming from his mouth. "I mean no disrespect but being eleven and having an analogy or whatever it is called thrown at me was not necessarily a good way to go."_

"_The fact that you didn't get it negated your having a place in Ravenclaw." The hat retorted._

"_Yes and the fact that I didn't immediately apologize probably kept me from Hufflepuff." Neville griped wanting to pull out his hair in frustration._

"_Longbottom remember I can see inside your head and know where you belong." The hat spoke again pausing._

"_Yes, you told me the first time when you put me in Gryffindor." Neville responded bitterly._

"_I did not put you there." The hat barked, eyes narrowing. "You put yourself there thinking that you would uphold the Longbottom tradition of being in Gryffindor. I merely obliged you knowing this day would come."_

"_Fine just put me in Hufflepuff so we can get it over with and thank you for your time." Neville responded his thoughts racing as he tried to recall exactly what the hat had said at his first sorting. _

"_Hufflepuff is nice but you belong in…"_

"SLYTHERIN!" The hat roared. For exactly thirty second Neville sat with the hat still on his head before he slowly removed it, placed it on the staff table. He nodded respectfully at the shocked face of Professor McGonagall before turning and repeating the gesture to the horrified Snape.

"Your things have been removed to your new dorm." Dumbledore spoke calmly his gaze searching. "Good luck in Slytherin."

"Thank you Headmaster." Neville replied before he turned on his heel and exited the hallway.

Neville set a straight course to the Greenhouse where he had his own private collection of deadly vegetation. He hoped that he could persuade some of it to put him out of his misery.

**This was another one of those writing exercises of mine. No worries though Firebolt is in the beta stage. This one will probably be continued at my leisure. More than likely after I finish Firebolt. **


End file.
